Sharing Cultures: Student Testimonials

TRIO Upward Bound students and staff playing and meeting local kids at the Cheyenne River Youth Center in the Cheyenne River Reservation

Esmeralda Oliva, High School Student, 16

This trip to South Dakota was a learning experience for me. Getting immersed in a different culture to my own and having the opportunity to help was something I would not trade for anything. While staying at the Cheyenne River Youth Center, I learned not only about different indigenous practices but also the importance of community and how much I value the UpwardBound community. During the span of the week, having the opportunity to cook meals together, garden, and organize the warehouse created even stronger connections with those around me. Getting to help but also learn about an indigenous community is not an opportunity I’ve come across here in Fort Collins. I was lucky enough to be picked to go on this trip and would do it over again in a heartbeat. Now that I’ve learned more about the beautiful parts of this culture and also the injustices, I can be more conscious of my everyday actions and be more educated. Going in, I knew very little about reservations in the US, but now I have a basic understanding which is a lot more than before. During the trip, we picked weeds, harvested vegetables, organized a warehouse, cleaned a water tank, and learned about the culture. We heard stories from an elder, learned about the importance of the youth center in Cheyenne River and learned about renewable energy and how it can be used to create income and economic opportunities for people on the reservation. I walked away from this experience with stronger connections with my peers in UpwardBound and have become better educated in indigenous culture and the injustices they face in the US.

Jorge Hernandez-Ibarra, High School Student, 16

When I first got to the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, I did not know what to expect. Frankly, I have never interacted much with Native American culture. At the Cheyenne River Youth center, we were given a tour and information about the different programs that they offered. The Cheyenne River Youth Project offers art and yoga classes, as well as a gymnasium, dance studio, library, and computer lab for older kids. For the younger kids, there is a program from 4:00-6:00 PM Monday through Friday that provides them with activities as well as dinner. We learned about the CRYP’s (Cheyenne River Youth Project) garden, and how they produce their own fruits and vegetables. They even had a store that sells their own creations, as well as products from their garden, such as jelly and coffee. All of this is to say that from what I observed, Native Americans definitely work hard to maintain their land as well as have some self-sufficiency in regards to producing some of their own food. We later learned that the CRYP is a non-profit organization that receives help from donors and volunteers. This provides them with the opportunity to raise funds for new projects that help Native American youth express themselves, such as the upcoming art center that they want to build next summer. The CRYP strives to listen to their students, thus resulting in the construction of this new building. All of this reminds me of my own culture as a Latinx immigrant. Coming from immigrant backgrounds, my family has always had to work hard to obtain what we have today. This is the same for the Native American people. Native Americans have had to overcome a lot of hardships throughout history. Today, a lot of them live on reservations and they work hard to maintain their land, as well as foster a sense of community in the reservation. This is seen in the CRYP, which helps Native American youth express themselves through art and find their own hobbies/interests. All in all, from what I learned in the week that I was in South Dakota, I took away that Native American people strive very hard to maintain their independence and identity. I was able to relate to them in that sense since I come from an immigrant Latinx background. It is sometimes hard to maintain my cultural identity here in a different country, however, I try my best to preserve my cultural identity by speaking my native language as much as I can, as well as trying to celebrate the different goings-on in Mexico. I was able to really relate to Native Americans and they are wanting to preserve their culture.

A group of students and staff after hours of weeding the local garden!

Briseyda Hoyos, High School Student, 15

My name is Briseyda Hoyos, I am 15 years old and am a part of the program, Upward Bound. Recently I was able to join the program on their trip to South Dakota in order to learn and help the communities we visited.

The week consisted of not only new experiences but new understandings. During the week I was able to grow knowledge on how native and indigenous people continue to be oppressed but are able to persevere through the challenges they face. Something that really stood out to me was Ceded and Deeded lands. Land not claimed would be referred to as Ceded land in which the land was now government-owned. This act disregarded the feelings of the indigenous people. Land that had been publicly owned would be referred to as Deeded land. Before the trip, I had no knowledge whatsoever of what Ceded and Deeded lands were and how it still affects natives and indigenous people today. I was informed on the trip that many natives and indigenous people live in mobile homes due to the land being Ceded. This country grew because of the knowledge of native and indigenous people but also because of their land. Illegal immigrants from Mexico helped build this country and yet both minorities have to continue to prove themselves to the United States government that they are here. I was able to learn about how berries react to predators and how to harvest them which I had never known before. I now know how to find the Northern star, and how indigenous people used the moon to identify when to harvest. The trip also allowed me to relate to others, some of the people there hadn’t known about the history or culture of native and indigenous people. I used to believe that history was dumb but with this trip, I was able to open my mind more to history and its importance of it. One person I met said she had struggled with her identity because her culture wasn’t taught. I feel I also struggle with my identity because I am Mexican-American and don't know which one I truly belong to because I don’t know much about my culture or my history.

This trip made me want to learn more about myself and others and was overall a great experience. I have learned new things that I wouldn't have even thought of before. I was able to gain new skills, friendships and memories.

Students, Upward Bound staff, and our TWP tour guides visited Henry Red Cloud Renewable Energy Center. Learning about their local initiatives and helping with some service projects

Mariana Martin-Mendoza, Upward Bound staff member, 21

With last weeks trip to South Dakota with Tree, Water, People (TWP) I got the opportunity to meet new communities, learn about new cultures, and try new things. Throughout the experience I was grateful for those who hosted us, welcoming us to their communities and sharing parts of their lives with us. I really enjoyed volunteering in the community as it caused me to get out of my comfort zone and try new things such as gardening and cooking/prepping meals for others. As a tutor counselor working with Upward Bound I experienced this opportunity differently than the students since most of my work was student centered, but with that I was able to still observe the student experience and take away many things that the students taught me during this trip. I appreciated how students approached this new experience with such compassion and open mindedness. I think Dani (mentor from TWP) put it perfectly that the students showcased their humbleness in being willing to try new things, interacting with the community with an open mind, and still being a support to their peers. One thing I will take away from this trip is the sense of community it helped curate. As a staff member with Upward Bound, I noticed and experienced a greater sense of community within UB students which was able to translate to the community we were welcomed in through their engagement with the people in the community (especially the kids). When Sean asked if I wanted to go on the trip, I did not know what to expect, but I am so grateful for the opportunities it presented me to be able to grow my sense of community, learn new skills, and meet incredible people.

Sharing Cultures: Student Testimonials

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